VDMX Tutorial: Animate Parameters with LFO

This VDMX tutorial goes in-depth with the LFO plugin and how you can use it to animate any parameter. We explain what an LFO waveform or curve is in regards to animation, how the LFO interface works, what standard curves are available to use, ways to customize your own curves, and how to automate parameters with LFO waveforms.

We show the results of assigning different waveforms as data sources to effect parameters and provide suggestions such as which curves may work best with certain parameters. There are three practical examples we go over: looping a zooming logo with the Cosine waveform, creating an infinite looping Kaleidoscope effect with the Ramp curve, and using the Random waveform as a data source for glitch-based effects.

Live Visuals Session // 101516

The live visuals in this session consist of generative clips from our Resgen series for Resolume. Clips were triggered on the fly and included some audio reactive versions. Behind the scenes, some adjustments were made using the built-in Dashboard controls to alter the clip prior to displaying in the Output Monitor. Most clips had minimal blending and alpha channels were used to separate the layers. The glitchy polygon visual was tweaked live, adjustments to the size and rotation were made with the music.

→ Watch Resgen Generative Visuals Overview

Visuals used in this session:
• DOCG01 Resgen
• DOCG02 Resgen 2

VDMX Build 8.6.0.6 Updated with New Features

The team at VIDVOX have released build 8.6.0.6 of VDMX which includes some new features and updates to their HAP playback.

What’s new:
– New “Timecode” plugin: This plugin receives, generates, and sends SMPTE timecode over a variety of formats
– New “Cue List” plugin: Use this plugin to set up pre-planned clip triggers
– New “Data Looper” plugin: This plugin lets you record values from data sources into tracks
– HAP Codec improvments: HapQ+A adds an alpha channel to HapQ, performance improvements

→ View VDMX b6.6.0.6 release notes

Resolume Arena 5.1 and Avenue 4.6 Update Released

Our friends at Resolume have released a feature rich update for Resolume Arena 5.1 and Avenue 4.6. The update adds some new tools to help with projection mapping, especially for LED setups along with performance enhancements and a bunch of bug fixes. Below are the new features. For the entire changelog please visit Resolume’s blog post regarding the update.

What’s new:
– ArtPoll and Art-Net Unicast
– Much lower memory usage when using still images and non-DXV movies
– Load images as guides for in Input and Output mapping
– Export slices to .svg
– Clip Menu Item: Strip Audio
– Type 4 space separated numerical values to enter a slice top, left, width and height coordinates
– RGBA fixture colorspace
– Maintain fixture scale and proportion when switching fixtures
– Duplicate lumiverse
– Button to toggle snapping
– Multiselect and drag slices between and within screens
– Roll over rotation range for slices
– Mouse hover popup in DMX Output window that shows the channel value as a number
– When deleting a column with an active clip, make the first clip in the column before it the active one
– When moving a Slice mask completely outside of a slice, paint the slice outline red
– When creating new fixture automatically start giving it a name

→ Download Resolume Arena 5.1 & Avenue 4.6 Update

Live Visuals Session // 090516

These live visuals were composed using a mix of hand-triggered effects and BPM synchronization. The top layer of thin cubes had the blur effects and random video playback set to BPM. The pixelized lines on the second layer had its color effects set to BPM and both the geometric explosion and directional flipping was done manually by bypassing the effect through improvisation with the music. Lastly, another geometric layer was placed in the background using some noise effects for extra texture.

→ Watch Resolume Tutorial on BPM Sync & Techniques

Visuals used in this session:
• DOC014 Kahelix (Tracearrays)
• DOC014 Obtusion (Tracearrays)
• DOC000 Blink Blocks (Free VJ Content)

CoGe Tutorial: Mask Layering Techniques

This CoGe tutorial (version 1.7+) demonstrates 3 different techniques to layer your visuals with masks or mattes. By using black and white content, we can display content through the white areas of footage with these various masking methods. The first technique involves using the Multiply blend mode to mask all layers below a black and white mask layer. The second demonstration explains how to use the “Mask with Layer” effect to select specific layers we wish to mask. The last technique shows how to create a mask overlay using an alpha channel that reveals the bottom layers only in the transparent areas while keeping masked content on top. We show how this techniques can be applied to a plain white logo to make it more visually interesting.